Thinking about doing my first TRI - thoughts/help?

You ca get a good starter bicycle for under $1000 it just depends how many bells and whistles you want on it. I would recommend going with a regular road bike as your first non-mountain bike because they can be a little easier to get used to and if you want to upgrade later you can always buy aerobars later. Your local bike shop should be able to get you pointed in the right direction if you tell them you are looking for an entry level road bike.

My first road bike was a Specialized Allez Elite Triple. I bought it for $1200 and I used it for the first two year of my tri career. I added aerobars to it and was very satisfied with the performance I got out of it.

As far as a training program I think you are on the right track with the 16 week sprint - bike or swim focused plan. That will bring you right up to your planned race if you start now.

Good luck with your bike search and your training and welcome to the BT family.

One thing that you can do is keep an eye on sites like Craigslist. I found a used Cervelo P2 for $700, made sure it fit.

As for swimming, coaching really helps. Laps are good, but swimming, especially for newbies like myself, really help make you get technically better, which means that you are more efficient.

3 month old newbie or not - you nailed it!

Muzzo- Your story is soooo similar to mine in just every regard!
I signed up for my first sprint for 4/20. I'm running a half-marathon on 5/3. Thanks to this board, they convinced me that I could do both!!
I have been doing strength training (BodyPump) and spinning (RPM) at the gym for many months now. I can't tell you how much that alone helped my running! Then, 2 weeks ago, I added swimming 2 days/wk to my plan. I swam in a summer swim club years and years ago. I know my form probably isn't the best, but it isn't bad either. For my first tri, my goal is simply to complete it without dying. Once I run the half, I'm going to focus on a training plan from this website.
My hubbie and I are going to do our first tri on our Trek hybrids (we had road tires put on them recently). We'd love to buy road bikes- but geez... we've already spend some $$$ haven't even done a tri yet! If you have the $$ to spend on a bike- go for it! I would if I had it! Otherwise, maybe putting some road tires on your mountain bike would be a good compromise for your first tri.
As for the weight- the body will change. Mine certainly has. I made lifetime in Weight Watchers on 1/16/08 after taking a year to lose 35 pounds. I'd like to get about 10 more pounds off. I eat right (most of the time). It will happen and I feel so excited about this journey!!
My plan for now is:
Monday: swim
Tues: strength and bike
Wed: run
Thurs: strength and run (or off)
Fri: run and swim
Sat: strength and bike
Sun: long run
Good luck to you in your journey!!

I'd suggest Joe Friel's book "Your First Triathlon".

Thanks all.
This is great advice and I am will work on cross training hard.

For swimming info check out Total Immersion. There is a book and a dvd and the content is invaluable. If you can, a few coached swim sessions to get you started wouldn't hurt.

Good luck and welcome to a magnificent obsession!

With the training you have been doing the last year you should be fine to do a sprint triathlon. The sprint Tri's are SO much fun. There not too long that you need a great deal of training to get through one. You can take your time doing the triathlon and just go at your own speed.
As for swim and bike training. Do you have a local master swim team that you can attend? I learned to swim better with a masters class. It was a great help, if not. Go to a local pool and just start out by swimming 15 minutes and gradually add in more time to your swim workouts.
I started with a cheap Trek Road bike for my first year of triathlon to see if I was going to like it before I bought a more expensive one. You can also go on Ebay and look for bikes or go to a local bike store and see what used bikes they have for sale. Just make sure you know what size bike to buy. Any local bike store can help you out with measures.
For a sprint tri don't stress to much just get out there and start training little by little and than go try a short sprint. You'll have a blast!!

Good Luck! it's an addicting sport............

Your biggest struggle is likely going to be the swim. Is it an open water swim? If it is you'll want to take a dip in open water before race day. Swimming is 75% technique. I see guys all the time who swim pretty well despite their technique, but they're selling themselves short. Start out with modest expectations and add a little everytime you go. A lot of people do better in the beginning if they mix different swim strokes.

Joe Friel's book is a little advanced for first year triathletes. It's basically the main reference and if you stick with triathlons you'll be buying it anyway. Check out your library, they probably have several good books. The Total Immersion book is very good. Lessons are a very good idea too. I'll have excellent swimmers watch me and give me advice and that's helped a lot.

Sprint triathlons are all about fun. Some people are extremely fast Sprint racers, but a lot of the people you'll see will be in the same boat as you. One of the most awesome things about triathlon is that it's a sport that nearly anyone can enjoy and compete in. Even us beginners will be rubbing shoulders with elites or possibly pro's. What other sport can say that? Don't throw out the idea of putting road tires on your current bike for your first triathlon and riding it. Triathletes are seldom rich and we've all been slowly adding to our endless equipment lists. So, don't be worried about showing up in whatever you want to wear and riding whatever you want to ride. A good bike fit and saddle height are at least as important as which brand/model you choose.

As far as being ready make sure you can cover the distance in the water first. You can ride slowly and walk the rest of the race if you need to. Train your weakness and race your strengths. Good luck.